Material handling device



p 3, 1955 J. s. PlLCH MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1951 INVENTOR JO H N 8 'Pl LC H f/ w ATTORN Sept. 13, 1955 Filed June 16, 1951 J. S. PILCH MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNVENTOR JOH N 5. PILCH p 13, 1955 J. s. PILCH MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 16, 1951 INVENTOR JOH N 6. PILCH ZN ATTORN p 1955 J. s. PILCH 2,717,704

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Filed June 16, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR JO H N 5. Pl LC H Unite States Patent This invention relates to material handling apparatus and more particularly to a new and improved form of apparatus mounted on a tractor or other vehicle which apparatus may be employed for land clearing, stone moving, log handling, material moving, scarifying, picking up material, loading and bulldozing, and numerous other uses of these general types.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus of the type set forth which may be adapted for various uses without a great amount of changes and which employs the arms and cylinders of a tractor mounted loader.

Another object is to provide a device of the type set forth which affords the operator better vision during operation of the device and wherein-the hood may be moved entirely out of the way when-not in use whereby it will not interfere with the operation-of the scarifier or blade.

Another object is to provide a deviceof the type set forth which has a powerful gripping action and which has a high rate of speed of opening or closing the hood at the time when such speed increases the speed of operation of the device.

Another object is to provide a device of the type set forth which has means for automatically increasing the gripping action between the hood and claw or dozer if for any reason the gripping action between these members might be loosened.

Another object is to provide automatically operated equalizing means for compensating for any changes in angular positions dur'ingthe-lifting of a load.

Another object is to provide a device of-the type set forth which is entirely hydraulically operated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the preferred form of the invention has been shown byway of illustration only. It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the scopeof theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view generally similar to Fig. 1 but showing the hood in raised position;

Fig. 4 is a view generally similar to Fig. 3 but showing the entire apparatus in raised position;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the scarifier and claw in clamping position; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a dozer blade instead of a scarifier.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, the invention is shown mounted upon a track type tractor having the engine 10, tracks 11, counterweights 12 and operators seat 13.

2,717,704 PaTtented Sept. 13, 1955 ice 'On the opposite sides of the tractor-frame are provided the upright supports 14 which extend above'the frame at substantially the midpoints of the tractor. Adjacent the upper end of each of the supports 14 are pivotally mounted the push arms 15 which are pivotally connected to supports 14 at 16.

Each of the push arms 15 has the bracket '17 secured thereto and to which the end of piston rod 18 is pivotally connected, which piston rod has a piston thereon in'cylinder 19 which is pivotally connected at 20 to the tractor frame.

On the tractor frame also are provided the uprights 21 and at the upper end of each of these uprights is pivotally connected an arm 22 on which is pivotally mounted'lever 23 which is pivotally connected to arm 22 at 24 and which has cylinder 25 pivotally connected thereto at 26 adjacent one end thereof and link 27 pivotally connected thereto at 28 adjacent its opposite end.

In cylinder 25 is a piston'connected to piston rod '29 adapted to actuate claw or hood 30 as hereinafter described.

On the forward end of push arms 15 is pivotally mounted scarifier 31 which has supporting lugs32 thereon which are pivotally connected at 33 to the forward end of push arms 15.

While ascarifier 31 has been shown and described it will be understood that it could be replaced by a dozer blade 31a as shown in Fig. 7 or any other form of pusher device depending upon the purpose for which the apparatus is to' be employed.

On push arms 15 are provided lugs 34 having two sets of pivot centers 35 and 36m one set of said pivot centers is pivotally connected the ends of links 37 which are pivotally connected at 38 adjacent their opposite ends to arms 22. Links 27 are pivotally connected to links 3.7 at 39 and links 40 are also pivotally connected to-links 37 at 39 adjacent one end and to lug 41 at 42 on scarifier 31 at their opposite ends. I

Claw or hood 30 is pivotally connected to piston rods 29 at 42 and have links 43 pivotally connected thereto at 44 adjacent one end of said links and'said links arepivotally connected adjacent their opposite ends at 44 to arms 22 forwardof connections 38 for links 37. Links 46 are pivotally connected at one end topivotal connections 42 for claw 30 and piston rods 29 and adjacent their opposite ends said links 46 are pivotally connected at 47 to the forward ends of arms 22.

The scarifier 31 as shown may comprise a plurality of blade portions or tine members 48 secured in assembled operative relation by means of cross pieces or supports 49 and claw 30 may comprise a plurality of hook shaped members 50 secured in assembled operative relation by means of cross pieces or supports 51. As previously stated, instead of scarifier 31, a .dozer blade may be employed and instead of claw 30, a solid'hood or clam may be employed and this dozer blade and solid hood may be used in combination with each other.

The tractor is provided with the usual source of hydraulic fluid and hydraulic pump for actuating hydraulic apparatus and the hydraulic apparatus is regulated or controlled by valve 52 which is controlled by control valves or levers 53.

Valve 52 is connected by hydraulic lines 54 and 55 to claw control cylinders 25 and accumulator 56 is connected thereto by line 57. Valve 52 is connected to cylinders 19 for raising and lowering push arms 15 by means of hydraulic lines 58 and 59 and accumulator 60 is connected thereto by line 61.

The hydraulic accumulator 60 is in the line on the push side of the tilt cylinder whereby when a rock or the like is gripped between scarifier 31 and claw 30, if for any reason the grip on the rock is loosened, the

accumulator automatically compensates for this loosening and tightens up the grip on the rock.

It will also be noted that because of the arrangement of lever 23 and link 27 and cylinder 25 being pivotally connected to opposite ends of lever 23, that, as the arms 15 and other mechanism are raised, the lever system provides an automatic equalizing arrangement which is adapted to automatically function as the arms are raised.

Another important feature of the present invention is that because of the leverage or linkage system for connecting and actuating claw 30 that a construction is provided having a powerful gripping action when such powerful grip is desired to clam material between scarifier 31 and claw 30 and yet when claw 30 is moved out of gripping position a high rate of speed of travel of claw 30 is obtained thus speeding up operation of the device by providing such high rate of travel of the claw 30 at the upper end of its movement when it is being opened or closed.

Another feature of the invention is that with the construction of the present invention a loader apparatus can be converted to the present device whereby the loader arms and cylinders are employed by merely changing the upper or tilt cylinder hitch points.

Also, with the present construction, the claw or hood 30 opens back of scarifier or blade 31 thereby avoiding the possibility of damage or injury to claw 30 during use of the scarifier or dozer blade in operation and also affords better vision for the operation as it is possible to see through the link when the clam or hood is employed.

In operation, the claw 30 is placed in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the dozer or scarifier is employed and when an object such as a stone or log is to be picked up or gripped, the claw or hood 30 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 when the arms may be raised for loading or carrying the article.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided relatively simple, efficient and economical means for obtaining all of the objects and advantages of the invention. v, I?

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a frame, a pair of push arms pivotally mounted on said frame, a pusher member carried by said arms adjacent the free ends thereof, a second pair of arms pivotally mounted on said frame above said first pair of arms, a gripping member carried by said second pair of arms and pivotally mounted thereon, piston and cylinder means carn'ed by said second pair of arms for actuating said gripping member and first pivotable links connecting said piston and cylinder means and said second pair of arms and second pivotable links connecting said second pair of arms and said gripping member, equalizing means comprising a pair of connecting members connecting each of said push arms to one of said second pair of arms, an equalizing lever pivotally connected relative to each of said second pair of arms and also connected to one of said connecting members and means connecting each of said connecting members to said pusher.

2. In a device of the character described, a frame, a pair of push arms pivotally mounted on said frame, a pusher member carried by said arms adjacent their free ends, a second pair of arms pivotally mounted on said frame above said push arms, a gripping .member carried by said second pair of arms and pivotally mounted thereon, piston and cylinder means carried by said second pair of arms for actuating said gripping member, pivotable link means connecting said piston and cylinder means and said second pair of arms, a link connecting each of said push arms to its respective arm of said second pair of arms and a second link connecting each of said first links to said pusher.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame, a pair of push arms pivotally mounted on said frame, a pusher member carried by said arms adjacent their free ends, a second pair of arms pivotally mounted on said frame above said push arms, a gripping member carried by said second pair of arms and pivotally mounted thereon, piston and cylinder means carried by said second pair of arms for actuating said gripping member, pivotable link means connecting said piston and cylinder means and said second pair of arms, and pivotable link means connected to said gripping member and said second pair of arms, a connecting member connecting each of said push arms to its respective arm of said second pair of arms and a link connecting each of said connecting members to said pusher.

4. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame comprising an upright support on each side of a tractor, a push arm pivotally connected to each of said supports, a pusher member connected to said push arms adjacent their free ends, a second support on each side of said tractor extending above said first supports, an arm pivotally secured to each of said second supports, a gripping member pivotally connected to said second arms, a supporting link pivotally connected to each of said second set of arms, hydraulic means connected to said link adjacent one end thereof and to said gripping member for actuating the same, a connecting link pivotally connected to each of said push arms at one end and adjacent its opposite end to one of said second set of arms and an equalizing lever pivotally connected at one end to each of said supporting links adjacent the opposite end thereof from said hydraulic means and at its opposite end to said arm connecting links.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,773,478 Dovel Aug. 19, 1930 2,326,338 Drott et al. Aug. 10, 1943 2,418,251 Drott Apr. 1, 1947 2,455,474 Drott et a1 Dec. 7, 1948 2,587,769 Rowe Mar. 4, 1952 2,596,895 Frischmann May 13, 1952 

